6

Fernando

Francisco Reges

City on Francisco Reges:

Fernando Francisco Reges arrived at the Etihad Stadium from Porto after lifting four Primeira Liga trophies during his seven year career at the Estadio do Dragao.

The Alto Paraíso-born defensive midfielder brings a great deal of UEFA Champions League experience to Manchester with him, having appeared in the competition with the 27-time Portuguese champions in five of the last six seasons.

Fernando is a quick, rangy and explosive midfielder, recognised for his abilities to anticipate and break up opposition attacks, and play the first pass out of the defensive third.

He began his career in his homeland with Vila Nova Futebol Clube in the third tier of the Brazilian league pyramid where he made his professional debut in 2005.

Snapped up by Porto two years and 57 league appearances later, he was immediately loaned out for the following season to fellow Primeira Liga outfit, C.F. Estrala Amadora.

Swiftly adapting to European football, Fernando missed just four games all season, two of them down to his ineligibility to face his parent club, and he instantly established himself as one of the first names on the teamsheet.

Upon his return to Porto, he was immediately placed into the first-team at Estádio do Dragão, where he was a regular starter alongside Lucho González and Raul Meireles, helping the Portistas to a league and Portuguese Cup double in his first season.

His breakout season can be considered to be the following campaign (2010/11) when the Brazilian clocked up more than 3,000 minutes as Porto claimed a league, cup and Europa League treble under Andre Villas Boas.

Fernando started 14 times in the Europa League that season, including the final in Dublin against Braga, where he lined up alongside compatriots Helton and Hulk.

The then-23-year old also played against City in both legs of the last 32 clash of the same competition in the following season, when City ended Porto’s title defence with a 6-1 aggregate win.

However, Fernando would end that 2011/12 season by lifting the Portuguese league trophy – a feat he repeated for the fourth time the following season.

Virtually ever-present during the 2013/14 campaign, the midfielder missed just five league games all season and played every minute of the Portuguese side’s Champions League campaign.

In total, Fernando played for Porto 232 times and scored five goals.

The 26-year old will be hoping to expand on his impressive collection of titles as a City player, which already includes the UEFA Europa League: 2010–11, the Portuguese League (2008/09, 2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13), the Portuguese Cup (2009/10, 2010/11) and the Portuguese Supercup (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013).